What Minions & Monsters' Box Office Means For The Future Of The Franchise
by Ryan Scott · /FilmOver the course of the last 15 years or so, the Minions have been on a truly legendary run at the box office. From the somewhat unassuming hit that was "Despicable Me" in 2010 to "Minions: The Rise of Gru" scoring the biggest Fourth of July opening ever in 2022, Universal and Illumination have accomplished a lot. So, it was assumed that this year's "Minions & Monsters" would also be a big hit over the Fourth of July weekend. But while it did top the charts, it did so in a more muted fashion than we're accustomed to.
"Minions & Monsters" opened to just $36.4 million over the weekend, barely edging out the recent box office champ "Toy Story 5" ($31 million) following its debut at the end of June. Across its full five-day premiere, having first hit theaters last Wednesday, the latest entry in the "Minions" franchise pulled in $61 million. That's a new low bar for the property, but it's also not the end of the world. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
That's because the animated flick, which is directed by franchise shepherd Pierre Coffin, has pulled in $98.4 million overseas already. This property has always had very strong international appeal, and that remains the case even now. The low opening all but ensures that "Minions & Monsters" won't join "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" in the $1 billion club at the box office, but it's still going to be a hit, meaning that this franchise is still viable. But there are some considerations that need to be made.
We've gotten seven "Despicable Me" and "Minions" movies over the last 16 years. It's the most prolific animated franchise ever. But everything reaches a saturation point eventually, and we may have finally hit that with the Minions.
The Minions still have a future, but hype may be dying down
The movie tells the "rambunctious, ridiculous, and totally true story" of how the Minions conquered Hollywood and became movie stars back in the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1920s. On a quest to make a monster flick, they unwittingly unleash monsters onto the world and then band together to try and save the planet.
There are a few things worth noting when it comes to assessing "Minions & Monsters." For one, the Fourth of July fell on a Saturday, meaning that it was always going to be a slightly less robust moviegoing weekend than it might've typically been. It's also very important to note that these movies are exceptionally leggy. Animated, family-friendly movies are in general. Illumination's "Migration" had to overcome a rough $12.4 million opening weekend in late 2023, but it still went on to make $300 million worldwide.
Another hugely important consideration to make is that Universal and Illumination keep the budgets very reasonable for these movies. This one carries a reported $85 million production budget, far less than the $100 million budget of "Despicable Me 4" (which pushed the franchise past the $5 billion mark at the box office in 2024). That means the bar for success is lower than it would be for a Pixar movie, for example. Those films generally cost closer to $200 million.
There's also the matter of word-of-mouth. "Minions & Monsters" is the highest-rated Illumination film ever, with a stellar 91% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Even with the live-action "Moana" looking like a box office win for Disney this upcoming weekend, Universal's latest should be able to leg out thanks to its positive reception.
The Minions' biggest days are behind them, but that's not as bad as it sounds
So, yes, this is a relatively low opening for a franchise with sky-high expectations, but it only looks bad because this franchise has enjoyed outlandishly high levels of success before. "Minions" is one of the highest-grossing animated movies of all time with $1.15 billion to its name. "Despicable Me 3" made a similarly massive $1 billion. These have been absolute cash cows, and it's hard to live in the shadow of such outlandish success.
The numbers still tell us, however, that "Minions & Monsters" is going to be a win for Universal at the end of the day. And that's purely based on ticket sales. This is to say nothing of the untold windfall that will come in thanks to merchandising and whatnot down the line. The Minions are a brand that delivers profits way beyond the box office. This is just one part of a much larger equation.
Universal and Illumination may need to slow down with these characters moving forward, but the franchise still has gas in the tank. Sure, the studios were absolutely hoping for a bigger opening, but this movie has an easy path to $500 million worldwide with the usual legs we've seen from "Minions" in the past, if not more. Just because something isn't as big as it once was doesn't mean it's a failure. Perspective is important. For now, this is still a viable property that any studio would be thrilled to have.
"Minions & Monsters" is currently in theaters.